The Shadow Minister
by Belladelina
Summary: The Minister of Intelligence is rarely seen, but he is always working hard to be one step ahead of the Sith and the Jedi.  Trying to keep both sides from destroying order in the galaxy.  For the sake of the Empire as well as his own.
1. War of Words

_**Shadow Minister** is absolutely my first fan fiction I have ever published. The MMO StarWars the Old Republic has been an inspiring journey for me. So much so that it has convinced me to write a story about the Imperial Agent story line.  
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_ If you haven't played the Imperial Agent class and don't want to be spoiled then I would HIGHLY recommend you stop reading now and sign online and play your agent. The IA storyline is just brilliant and full of twists and turns that were both unpredictable and enjoyable. This story is full to the brim with spoilers._

__***SPOILER WARNING*  
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_This story takes place immediately after Act I of the IA story line. (The ending I chose was the neutral ending). The agent in this case is female. Feel free to picture your own agent in it. I will try very hard not to use my character's real name and limit it to just "Cipher Nine" for those who like picturing their own characters in the part.  
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_My story centers mostly around the most inspiring character in the story line for me. The Minister of Intelligence (formerly Keeper). His courage to stand up to the Sith, his protectiveness over his agents, and his desire to make right the wrongs in his life caught my attention immediately. He is an unusual person for an Intelligence Minister. At any rate, I thought it would be fun to see what went on behind the scenes while Cipher Nine was gallivanting all over the galaxy. _

_***Note*** I do not own any of the characters or names in this fanfiction. They belongs to both George Lucas and Bioware. A very special thanks to them for allowing budding writers like me to use them for practice while appreciating all that they have given fans._

_I welcome all reviews, but certainly don't mind if you are just here for the ride. If you want to give criticism that is fine. Please do...but please be constructive so that I can improve as I go. Enjoy!  
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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - War of Words<strong>

The newly appointed Minister of Imperial Intelligence stood before the giant doors of the Dark Council chamber. His lips pulled tight and his brow furrowed with disdain. Though he was careful to keep such emotions on his face at a minimum, he couldn't help but feel disgusted by the thought of having to enter the chamber. He prided himself on having an unreadable face. And he was known to keep calm even in the direst of situations. He was the eye of a hurricane; the calm in the center of chaos. If he hadn't been, he would not have lived long enough to become Keeper let alone become the new Minister of Intelligence for the Empire. But the Sith, were the exception. Simply put, the Sith were not pleasant to be around. They brought out the worst in him as they did everyone. He firmly believed his hair went prematurely gray because of them and the unnecessary stress they put on him. Still, he was careful to not let too much of his emotion seep out. The Sith feed off of emotion, especially intensely negative emotion, and he would not give them the satisfaction.

He tugged the sleeves of his uniform straight and then pulled his black gloves on tighter. His new uniform reflected his promotion. Much like his old one but with a few distinct differences. It was a darker grey and there were a few more medals and military regalia but the biggest difference for him was the collar. This collar seemed a bit tighter than his old uniform. It was almost choking him. The irony of this was not lost on him. Though there were many benefits that came along with his new rank, everyone knew that the Minister of Intelligence was considered a dangerous but necessary "evil" by the Dark Council and therefore kept on a very short, very tight leash. They may have the power of the Force, but he had the power of information. Both were powerful in different ways. Essentially, the Sith didn't like him any more than he liked them, but they tolerated each other for the "greater good."

His cold grey eyes narrowed in thought. It was highly unusual for the Dark Council to request the Minister's physical presence. Most conferences took place via Holoterminal and he preferred it this way. However, in this case, the Dark Council had specifically requested his presence. He was told it was to congratulate him on his new promotion in person. That it was protocol. He smiled grimly. He didn't believe it for a second. He knew this "pleasantry" was going to be anything but pleasant. And he had a feeling that this meeting was not about him at all.

"Minister? The Dark Council requests your presence in the chamber now."

Turning toward the young female Sith acolyte that had just walked into the room behind him he regarded her with a raised eyebrow. He recognized her almost instantly. Her name was Kara Xylax and she was one of Darth Ravage's acolytes. She was human and she was tall with dark hair that was braided quiet intricately around her head. She was strikingly beautiful. Especially, for a Sith whose use of the dark side eventually ravaged even the most beautiful. It was only a matter of time before this young woman would become as hideous as most members of the Sith. Such a pity. But to a Sith...there is nothing they wouldn't sacrifice for greater power.

According to the Imperial Intelligence records Kara was a more mild mannered Sith, if you could say that about one their kind. Though she was not the type who would be vicious enough to become one of Ravage's apprentices she still was very powerful and extremely ambitious. She was just as dangerous as the other Sith apprentices as far as he was concerned. Her true use to her master was her diplomacy and powers of manipulation. She was called in when her master needed a more "delicate" solution to a problem and as far as he knew, Kara never let him down. She was charming, beautiful, sharply intelligent, and rarely far from Darth Ravage's side. He inwardly smirked...according to Intelligence...she had a few other "talents" that Ravage held in high regard as well.

He nodded politely in her direction, "Thank you."

She gestured toward the door. Taking half a moment he pushed all his emotions down as far as they could be buried before taking a step toward the threshold. He felt like a gladiator about to enter the ring full of angry Nexu. Only this fight wouldn't be a about strength and agility. It would be an all out bloody war of intelligence and calm.

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><p>Eleven faces stared down at the Minister of Intelligence from their throne like perches in the Dark Council chamber. The Minister stood, ridged with his arms folded behind his back staring straight ahead. Years of training and discipline giving him a mask of calm and indifference.<p>

The Chamber was enormous and dark. Six thrones lined the wall to his left. Another six lined the wall to his right. Each throne was occupied, with the exception of one. One chair remained empty.

"You will have to forgive us, Minister." Turning toward the voice within the shadows he recognized to be Darth Tanthalon's

"My Lord?" He inquired.

"Your promotion comes at an inopportune time, I'm afraid;" he said, gesturing toward the empty throne. "You see, we are short one member of the Council."

"I'm sorry to hear that, my lord. Is Darth Zhorrid unwell?" The Minister was not surprised to hear a few snickers echo through the chambers. He specifically chose the word "Unwell." It was no secret that Darth Zhorrid was mentally unbalanced if not completely mad. To say she was unwell was an understatement.

"She has been deemed unfit and therefore..._removed _from the Dark Council. We have yet to find a suitable replacement for her." There was no amusement in Darth Thanthalon's voice. It was clear that Darth Zhorrid was finally dead by the Dark Council's hand. The Minister felt absolutely no remorse for her loss. The daughter of a Darth Jadus was a tragedy on all counts with the exception of her death. Personally, he felt like justice had been served since she took sadistic delight in ordering his agents about as if they were her own servants. He took that as a direct insult to him. His agents were his and no one else's. Their job was to serve the Empire, not run errands for a spoiled brat of a Sith Lord. She was a waste of life that would not be missed for a moment.

"You have my sympathies, my Lords. Losing a high ranking member can be a devastating blow. Especially, since we are on the brink of war with the Republic"

"Or... it can be seen as fortuitous, is that not so..._Minister_?" the cold amused voice of Darth Mortis oozed from the shadows. The Minister turned toward Darth Mortis.

"My lord?" he asked, interested in where this conversation was going.

"I'm merely pointing out, Minister, that you would not be standing here today in our presence if your predecessor had not met his untimely death upon the Dominator." Pleasure seeped out of the Sith Lord's voice. Though the Minister could not see it, he was sure there was a wide grin upon the Sith's face. "Along with _thousands_ of other lives."

Ah, the first attack at him. He was surprised it took this long.

The _Dominator_ was Darth Jadus's flag ship and it was destroyed in what was a supposed terrorist act by man who called himself The Eagle. There were several VIP's on the ship when it exploded. The former Minister of Intelligence was one of them. And it happened right under his nose much to his fury. There was nothing, NOTHING that happened in either the Empire or even the Republic that escaped his attention. And yet, somehow, this so called _Eagle _had managed to destroy a Dark Council member's flag ship while it was in bloody orbit above Dromund Kaas killing almost everyone on board without so much of a whisper of warning. It was both an enraging and humbling moment. Regardless, he had somehow let his guard down; a mistake that he would not be repeating in the future.

"Indeed, my lord. But with all due respect, may I point out that _you _would not be sitting where you are now if your predecessor hadn't met a similar fate." One was not elected to the Dark Council. It was handed down from master to apprentice which means if you wanted a position on the Dark Council you had to murder your way there. Natural deaths were a luxury the Sith saw very little of.

"Be careful, Minister," chimed the voice of Darth Acharon. "Be mindful of who you are speaking to."

"I meant no disrespect, my lord Acharon. I was merely repaying Darth Mortis's observation with one of my own. Observation is part of my job."

Darth Acharon leaned forward, "Indeed it is, Minister," his voice dripping with menace. "Something of which I hope you are better at than the former Minister. It was fortunate for him that he was killed upon the Dominator. If he hadn't been, his fate would have been the same, but a far less merciful one. I would have seen to that personally. His failure for not foreseeing this attack speaks volumes of his incompetence."

"Agreed, my Lord." The Minister inclined his head in mock agreement. He knew very well that _all_ of intelligence failed to foresee the Dominator's destruction; blame was on all of their heads. However, this was a point he was not eager to volunteer. He had no love for the former Minister but in his defense, no one, not even him, could have guessed who was really behind the attack. The Eagle was a pawn, used by one of the Dark Council's very own, Darth Jadus.

Unbeknownst to everyone Jadus had staged his own death upon the Dominator. He manipulated the Eagle from the shadows giving him the resources and the idea for the attack without The Eagle knowing his true identity. It wasn't too hard. All he had to do was to give the Eagle an opportunity to assassinate one of the Dark Council along with several VIP Imperialists. How could any self respecting terrorist resist that? The Eagle, eager to make his "noble" point to the Empire, didn't bother to ask very many questions. He quickly planted the bombs on the ship with surprising ease and pressed the button blasting the whole damn destroyer to smithereens. Jadus, having planed the attack himself, was ready for it and used the Force to protect a small portion of the ship from the explosion and poisonous gases. It was there that he was able to contain himself and several of his "followers" in safety. With everyone thinking he was dead he was now able to execute the next steps of his plan, free from the watchful eyes of Intelligence and the Sith.

"I can assure you, my lords, that the events that led to the Dominator's destruction will not be forgotten, nor will they occur again. Clearly, we had a blind spot in our intel that is currently being rectified."

A large laugh bellowing burst from Darth Baras. "Ah. So, your spies are now watching us, is that what you are hinting at?"

"Of course, my Lord. Much like your spies watch us," he said with his eyebrow raised. Baras had many personal spies. The man was his own intelligence agency. "After all, it was Darth Jadus who betrayed and fooled us all. If it hadn't been for my agent, Darth Jadus might have succeeded in his plans to destroy all of you and challenge the emperor. Instead, Darth Jadus is currently spending the rest of his existence in a stasis prison behind lock and key."

"Yes. That reminds me," purred Darth Ravage. "Where _**is**_ your …brave agent, Minister?"

_And so the true battle begins._

"She has been given a short order of leave. I thought it best, considering the trauma she was forced to face upon the Darth Jadus's ship." _And I'm not about to tell you mob of Rakghouls where she is._

"Is that so?" Ravage didn't look pleased at the Minister's avoidance of the question.

"How long are we going to play this game, Ravage? You are wasting my time. Can we get to the point of the meeting!" growled Acharon.

The Minister's cold grey eyes darted from Ravage to Acharon and then back again. Ravage waved an acquiescing hand in Acharon's direction.

"Very well, Acharon. Since you are in such a rush perhaps you'd like to continue."

"Gladly," he hissed. "Minister, you are to recall your agent back to Dromund Kaas upon where you will have her promptly arrested and then immediately executed."

The Minister was completely shocked by the Sith Lord's bluntness. Though, he was careful not to show it.

"My Lord? Whatever for?"

"Your agent has directly and knowingly challenged not only a Dark Lord of the Sith but one who was also a Council member! In addition, she willingly gave Jadus the eradicator codes that allowed thousands of Imperials to lose their lives. She is a danger to the Empire and she needs to be put down."

_Put down? _He seethed. _As if his agent was a pet who has become rabid._

"My Lord," the Minister said through a tightly clenched jaw. "If I may, everything Cipher Nine did was _for _the Empire. Not against it."

"_For_?" Acharon snorted. "Minister, clearly you and I have very differing views on appropriate subordinate behavior!"

He knew this whole meeting was a sham from the start. He suspected that Cipher Nine was the true subject of this meeting and they wanted him there personally so that they could clearly sense his true emotions about her. They were testing him. The danger that he and his agent were in just escalated to a nightmarish level. He was going to have to play this _very_ carefully.

"My Lord, might I inquire how you would have wanted Cipher Nine to deal with Darth Jadus?"

"The fact that you expected her to _deal_ with Jadus at all has me greatly concerned Minister."

"My Lord, she went to Darth Jadus's ship not knowing he was the one who was holding The Eagle's leash. If you remember, no one knew he was still alive. She thought she was going to eradicate another terrorist leader, which, might I point out, is her _job_. She was not aware it was going to be Darth Jadus."

"And yet, she still chose to face him?" Acharon said icily.

"Yes. She did."

"And she _willingly_ gave Jadus the eradicator codes that killed thousands of people?"

"Yes. She did."

"And you still defend her actions?" Acharon leaned forward fists gripping the thrones arm in pure rage. "I would choose your next words _very_ carefully, Minister."

"My Lord, I stand by my agent's decision." He did not have to be Force sensitive to feel the full rage that was building in this room. It was absolutely overwhelming, threatening to squash him. His collar seemed tighter than ever. Closing his eyes for a moment he struggled to keep his composure. "I stand by my agent because I know every detail of what happened on that ship that you, my lords, have not been privy to as of yet. It was recorded by my Watchers and I sincerely believe that Cipher Nine made a decision that in the long term was the least disastrous for the Empire as well as for all of you."

The rage lightened a bit and he found it easier to breath.

"Is that so, Minister?" Darth Ravage, inquired. His voice tinged with disbelief but also a little curiosity. "Expound on that. How do you see her decision to kill thousands of people and initiate a confrontation with a Dark Council member benefit us?"

"Because I know what Darth Jadus offered her, my lords." He had everyone's complete attention now.

"Continue, Minister." Darth Ravage urged.

"When Cipher Nine arrived on Darth Jadus's ship she was surprised to see that he was not only still alive but he was the man behind the whole plot. She realized that her situation just went unexpectedly bad.

"Darth Jadus knew that Cipher Nine had defeated The Eagle, and he knew that she had the other half of the codes to activate the eradicators; the very same eradicators that were positioned unbeknownst to all of you, right under you. To make things clear, my lords, he wanted you all dead so he would be the sole person in control."

"Get to the point, Minister." Acharon growled.

"Yes, my lord. Darth Jadus needed the other half of the codes that Cipher Nine had. If he killed her, the codes would have died with her. So he chose to seduce her." This next part he wanted to make especially clear. "My lords, he offered her a life of power. I saw the recording. He was prepared to make her his right hand. She would have power and respect, bowing to no one but him. An offer a person in her position would find hard to turn down. I doubt, many would have."

"But she _still_ gave Jadus the eradicator codes. She turned the bloody things on herself!" Darth Archaron hissed.

The Minister nodded. "She did but only for a few minutes. And she didn't turn them on to join him. She turned them on to make him _think_ she did. You see, my lords, she knew that she would not be able to challenge Darth Jadus directly, but she knew _you_ could. Had she chosen to fight him directly she would be dead and he would have escaped to the shadows to continue his scheming. Nothing would be gained by that.

"However, by turning on the eradicators it earned Darth Jadus's trust long enough for her to excuse herself so that she could shut down the ships defenses while one of my Watchers sent word to me of the events that were unfolding. It was then that I summoned all of you, as you recall."

"But what of the lives that were lost due to the eradicators?"

The Minister was growing irritated. What was all this new found love for human life? They never cared about it before. The Sith are irritating beings. So keen on manipulating events and emotions only when it suit their purposes. Politics in general made him nauseous, but the Sith politics made him physically sick.

"My lords, Cipher Nine was forced to make a terrible choice. I'm not denying that. But she reasoned that if Darth Jadus escaped more lives would be lost in the future. His plans for domination would have caused a bleak and grim future for the Empire and its people. It is for that reason that I respect and condone her decision. It was not an easy one and it will most likely haunt her for the rest of her life."

The chamber was silent. All eleven pairs of eyes glared at the Minister from the darkness. He stood silent and ridged as when he came in.

Darth Ravage was the first to break the silence.

"Minister, I respect that you stand by your agent, especially when it is not only _her_ life that is at stake here." That last sentence was spoken slowly and deliberately so as to make sure its meaning was clear to the Minister. "However, your agent still defied a Dark Council member. And not only that, she helped defeat him. Jadus's power was second only to that of the Emperor's. We cannot have that kind of defiance allowed. She must be executed."

_ They were scared of her! All of them. Cipher Nine actually managed to intimidate the most powerful Sith Lords in the Empire_. He smiled inwardly as the pride swelled his heart. One of his agents managed to do something that few could do. Scare the Hell out of the Sith. Interesting.

His mind worked rapidly. He had to find a way to save her. The Sith were stubborn and worse, they were eager for blood. All of the sudden the solution presented itself. It was a little dangerous not to mention it would be devious, but it was worth it to him if he could keep Cipher Nine alive.

"My Lords," the Minister began cautiously. "Might I suggest an alternative to execution?"

"An alternative?" Ravage asked his eyebrow raised. "Minister, you seem to be quite attached to this agent. Are they not all expendable? Isn't that the point of spies?"

"Yes, my lord, all of my agents are expendable including Cipher Nine. However, that does not mean that I'm willing to just throw them away without so much as a thought." _Like you do to all your apprentices_, he thought bitterly. "Especially, if they are still quite useful."

"Useful? How is Cipher Nine still useful?" snapped Darth Acharon.

"She is one of my best agents. I hand picked her out of the academy myself. She is intelligent, resourceful and fiercely loyal to the Empire. I have several missions that only she would be able to complete. I'd also like to add that training agents costs the Empire a fortune and as far as I am concerned, she has yet to repay that debt. I'd rather not have her executed before her usefulness to the Empire has been completely exhausted."

"Very well, Minister, I'm curious. What do you propose?" Darth Ravage asked.

"Brainwashing, my lords," he simply said.

"Brainwashing?"

"Yes. Intelligence has used this method with certain agents who were deemed…unpredictable but effective. I can have Cipher Nine reprogrammed to shut down with a single word in the event that she becomes considered 'dangerous.'"

"Ah…clever," purred Darth Baras.

"Shut down? How so?" inquired Darth Mortis

"Just exactly that. If someone speaks her keyword to her, she will quite literally shut down as if someone had flipped a switch on her. Though she will be conscious of her surroundings, her will will no longer be her own. She will not be able to do a single thing further unless instructed to do so by her keyword holder."

"Interesting," Baras grinned. "And who will be her keyword holder?"

"I will be." The Minister said coolly. "I am her superior, it is only right. I will be responsible for her actions."

"Yes you will be, Minister. Let us be _very_ clear about that." Acharon hissed. "She is your responsibility. If she so much as looks the wrong way at a Sith Lord, you _both_ will be facing execution. Is that clear?"

"Of course, my Lord." The Minister nodded in acknowledgement. Not exactly the most comfortable solution to this problem but then he didn't really expect it to be easy. It would have to do for now.

"Tell us, Minister," began Darth Baras. "How does one brainwash a person?"

He was hoping he wouldn't have to go into this, but he sensed a simple, '_Trust me, it works_,' would not appease them.

"We use a specially developed serum that, when injected into the blood stream will temporarily shut down the neural transmitters in the brain that send out commands to the rest of the body. For lack of a better description, it prevents the brain's processing of 'free will.' Conversely it increases the sensitivity of the neural receptors making the subject highly impressionable. You can plant any idea or series of actions into the subject without them knowing it. Then trigger the action or idea with a designated keyword."

"And where does the serum get produced?" asked Ravage.

"Quesh, my lord."

Ravage stood up and then summoned one of the red clad Imperial guards standing at the chamber door. The guard approached and then bowed.

"My Lord?" he inquired.

"Summon Kara. Her presence here is required immediately."

"At once, my lord." Bowing he departed.

_What is he up to_, the Minister wondered.

"What are the side effects of the serum?" inquired Baras. The Minister frowned inwardly. He didn't like how interested Baras was in this serum.

"Very few, my lord. Though, multiple brain washings will leave the subject irrevocably damaged. It is only recommended that if it is done at all that it is done only once."

"Has it ever been used on a Force sensitive subject?" inquired Baras.

"It was tested once on a captured Jedi padawan. It was discovered that it has no effect on force sensitives. The Force prevented the serum from taking effect."

"Interesting," Baras grinned behind his mask. The Minister was no fool. He knew the serum was intriguing to the Sith lord. It was one of the reasons he wasn't happy about having to bring the serum to light in the first place. He wouldn't put it past Baras to have thousands of people injected with the serum to create an army of sleeper agents. He was always looking for the easy solution to his problems. The man disgusted him.

Just then the chamber doors opened and in walked Ravage's acolyte. All eyes were on her as she moved to stand beside the Minister, then facing her master she kneeled.

"You summoned me, my Lord?"

"Kara, I need you to travel to Quesh immediately. There you will acquire a special serum. The Minister can fill you in on whom to speak to get it."

"Of course, my lord."

"My lord," the Minister interrupted. "We already have the serum here. You needn't send your acolyte to Quesh."

"Minister," began Ravage his tone dangerous, "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Not at all, my lord." He was truly baffled by Ravage by now.

"You have a reputation for being protective of your agents. And frankly I don't trust you to give the _real_ serum to Cipher Nine. So, I will have Kara retrieve a freshly made batch and she will be present as you administer it to your agent so that there can be no doubt that the process was completed.

"In the meantime, you will provide Kara with all the information she needs to locate your contact on Quesh and then make arrangements for your agent to come back to Dromund Kaas so that she can be…_treated._"

_ Damn him_. Every movement he made was countered by the Sith. He wasn't going to lie. The thought to switch serums had entered his mind. But now he was left with absolutely no choice now.

"Very well, my lord. But, might I request for security reasons, after the serum has been administered your acolyte will leave me with my agent so that I may reprogram her?"

"No. Kara will remain until after the programming."

_Damn!_

"As you wish my, Lord. But I respectfully insist that she leave before I program the keyword. I am the only person to know this word. If not, you leave the door open for Cipher Nine to be a puppet to anyone who has her keyword. Which will mean she is still dangerous. I cannot allow that to happen."

Darth Ravage, nodded. "Very well, Minister. I will agree to your terms." The Minister breathed a sigh of relief to himself. "However, that word is to be stored somewhere in your data banks. Lock it down with whatever safety precautions you like but I will not allow it to lie just with you."

"Very well, my lord."

"Now, I think we've had about as much as we can stand each other for awhile, Minister. You are dismissed."

He couldn't agree more. This meeting shed light on a few things that had him worried for a long time. This meant that he had to execute some of his plans a lot earlier than he intended.

Turning to Kara he regarded her with cold eyes. "My Lady. I will brief you personally on the trip to Quesh. Please stop by Intelligence at your earliest convenience."

"Of course, Minister," she said nodding in respectfully to him.

"My lords." He said respectfully before bowing. Then the Minister did something he wasn't sure he was going to be able to do before he came in. He left chamber alive and in one piece.


	2. Interrupted

**Chapter 2 - Interrupted**

"Keeper, Cipher Six is requesting an exit contact from Nar Shadda. The Hutt cartel is has grown suspicious of him." Watcher Fourteen relayed the information to the stoic dark haired woman staring at a holoscreen in the center of the enormous room as her eyes darted through the quickly flashing information.

Intelligence Headquarters was massive. It was also constantly busy and full of Watchers and Fixers dashing here and there toiling away like worker bees in a hive. Keeping your eye on everything that was happing both within the Empire and out was a 24 hour job.

"Did he get the information we were looking for on Nem'ro the Hutt?" She asked never taking her eyes from the holoscreen.

"One moment." The Watcher looked back at her screen. "He says he was eighty percent successful. He would have gotten the rest of the information in a couple more days but he had a few… _issues_ that angered the Hutt."

Keeper raised her eyebrow and turned to Watcher Fourteen. "What _issues,_ exactly?"

Watcher Fourteen grimaced a bit before turning to Keeper as Cipher Six relayed more information to her.

"He…um…he got a little too friendly with one of Nem'ro's favorite dancers."

Keeper frowned. She had half a mind to leave him there. "Sloppy," she muttered to herself. He should know better. Still, eighty percent was better than nothing. And despite his large appetite for women of every race and size, he was a good agent. That was not going to save him from the very curt talk she would be having with him upon his return. Obviously, she needed to make it very clear to him that once an agent becomes careless he becomes a liability to the Empire. Carelessness would not be tolerated. Not with so much at stake.

"Granted. Give him the coordinates to the nearest safe house." Keepers eyes darted to the main entrance of Intelligence. In walked the Minister of Intelligence, his face grim. Locking eyes with her he looked at her, then to her office, then back to her as he walked at a fast clip. She understood the meaning perfectly. "Tell Cipher Six that I want to see him in my office first thing upon his return to Dromund Kaas."

"Yes, Sir."

"Watcher Three, take over here. I will be in my office in conference with the Minister."

"Of course, sir." Watcher Three nodded in respect as she walked by.

She found the Minister in her office arms folded behind his back starring at one of the screens behind her desk. She had a _déjà vu_ moment. Countless times she came into this office prior to both their promotions and found him in exactly in the same place with the exact same tired but determined look upon his face. She wasn't sure if he ever slept. She required very little sleep herself, being genetically bred to function with only an hour or two of rest a day. But as far as she new, the Minister was an average human man, at least biologically. Though she'll admit, she knew very little of him. He fiercely guarded his privacy and she respected him too much to pry.

"You haven't changed the office much." The Minister's voice shattered her train of thought. His eyes were still fixed on the screen behind her desk.

"No… I haven't," Keeper offered. "I'm afraid there hasn't been much time." Not that she really felt the need to change it. She liked the office the way it was. It was Spartan and utilitarian as offices should be. Decorations were the least of her worries and would only be a distraction.

"No, I don't imagine you would have." The Minister's eyes darted up from the screen and regarded her. "Nor do I foresee you having much time on your hands anytime soon, either."

Keeper knew the Minister as well as a person could. Over the years she learned to read what few expressions and vocal tones he offered. She knew something had happened at the Council meeting that he was not at all happy about.

"I take it that things didn't go as expected in your meeting with the Dark Council?" She began cautiously.

"Quite the contrary, I'm afraid." There was a tinge of anger in his voice. "It went _exactly_ as I expected. That is the problem." Gesturing to her chair behind the desk, "Sit Keeper, this might take a moment of your time and you might as well be off your feet for a few minutes."

Keeper moved to her chair behind her desk and sat as the Minister proceeded to pace in front of it. His brow still furrowed in thought.

"You will need to call Cipher Nine back to Dromund Kaas immediately."

Confused Keeper merely nodded, "Very well. She has only been on leave for a week. I imagine it won't take her long to regroup and travel here. Though, I hate to cut her leave time short before it has really even started. If you need her for a mission perhaps we can get Cipher Four to fill in for her. He's been waiting for new orders anyway and…"

The Minister abruptly stopped his pacing and looked at Keeper dead in the eye as he interrupted her.

"The Dark Council is calling for Cipher Nine's execution." He said simply as if he was giving her the weather forecast.

Keeper's eyes widened and her mouth fell open in pure shock. For the first time in a long time she wasn't sure what to say.

"But…" She began to say before being silenced by the Minister's raised hand.

"It isn't going to happen. Not yet, at least." He began. "I've convinced them to give her a stay of execution."

Keeper's head was swimming with unanswered questions, something she was not accustomed to. The Minister was far more experienced dealing with the Sith than she was, though she was being forced to learn hard and fast in her new position. Darth Baras had been spending a lot of time in Intelligence since Darth Jadus was imprisoned. Baras liked to be where the information was and that hulking Sith Lord was beginning to make himself irritatingly at home within Intelligence.

"How? Why?" was all she could manage to say as the shock started to subside. She was glad she was sitting down.

"Keeper, I know your dealings with the Sith have been minimal." He resumed his pacing with his eyes on the floor. "I'm afraid that is my fault. I did what I could to keep them away from Intelligence for my own personal reasons. But by doing so I'm afraid I left you all unprepared for working with them. Yet another item that can be added to my ever growing list of life regrets."

Keeper could hear the bitterness in the Minister's voice. She wondered what regrets he could possibly have. He always seemed so sure of everything. His confidence and his strategies were sound and strong. His treatment of his agents was respectful but firm. The loyalty this man inspired in his people was impressive to say the least.

"There is something that you need to understand about the Sith, Keeper. They don't like to be crossed. Ever. Under any circumstances."

Keeper understood immediately.

"I see. They want Cipher Nine dead because she confronted Darth Jadus." It was more of a statement than a question. The Minister nodded in reply. "Even though, if she hadn't he would have escaped and then we would have all been worse off than we are now. No. All they care about is that a non-Sith defied a rogue Sith Lord!"

The Minister smirked, "Infuriating, isn't it?"

That was putting it mildly. "So, what do we do?"

"I've managed to convince the Dark Council that she is still worth being kept alive. However, it comes with a cost." The Minister stopped his pacing and looked back at Keeper. "I am giving the order to have the Castellan restraints put upon Cipher Nine."

"Brainwashing?" Keeper was shocked. "Sir, is that really necessary? Cipher Nine doesn't deserve that!"

"No. She doesn't!" Irritation seeping into his voice. "Nor does she deserve execution. But those are our choices for the moment. I'm not happy with them, but I will do what is necessary to protect my agents, Keeper."

"Understood, sir." Keeper nodded, "So, we have no choice it seems."

"No." He regarded her grimly. "Get used to this, Keeper. You'll find yourself in these situations more often than not." Keeper frowned but nodded her understanding.

"Also, Cipher Nine is not to know about it, is that clear? Nor is anyone else to know, save you, myself and the Council. Once she is brainwashed the keyword will be kept in my personal data bank within the Intelligence archives. Have it placed under the maximum security protocols. I don't want _anyone_ to get this keyword, Keeper." Keeper nodded her understanding. Satisfied the Minister turned and started toward the door. "By the way, Acolyte Kara will be here shortly. When she gets here, please have her escorted to my office."

"Darth Ravage's Kara?" Keeper asked. The Minister stopped near the threshold of the door.

"Yes. Darth Ravage is sending her on an errand to Quesh in order to get a fresh batch of the serum and I am to give her what information she needs to retrieve it." She could hear the bitterness creeping into his voice again.

"But we have the serum here. Why…" Then Keeper realized that the Sith didn't trust them to administer the real serum. Probably smart. "Oh…I see. Yes, Sir. I'll be sure she is sent to your office as soon as she gets here."

"Thank you." The Minister started to leave again before pausing once more. "Oh and Keeper, let me know when Cipher Nine's ship enters orbit."

"Yes, sir." Keeper nodded and then watched the man she respected walk out the door. Her lips pulled tight in a frown. Things were going to get tense in the next few days.

* * *

><p>"So…Agent," Kaliyo began as she leaned back in her chair and placed her feet up on the bridge's holomap console, "Where are we heading now that you've got time off?"<p>

Cipher Nine peered intently at the holographic star map, her eyes looking at system after system trying to figure out where to go. Ask her to plan a covert operation to steal intelligence from a dangerous crime lord. No problem. Ask her to find a way into a building and assassinate a target then sneak out without so much as a whisper. Child's play. Ask her to plan her time off and she was completely stumped. Free time was not something she had often.

"I haven't the foggiest idea." She said, while continuing to stare at the star maps. However, her eyes kept looking back at Kaliyo's dirty boots on the very expensive and delicate console.

Kaliyo snorted. "I'm not surprised. Do you even know how to relax?"

"Please be so kind as to _remove_ your feet from my ships holomap console" she said icily. Kaliyo rolled her almost white eyes but obliged begrudgingly.

Kaliyo Djannis was a Rattataki. They were a humanoid race with chalk white skin, bald heads, and who favored tribal tattoos, piercings, and fighting. In fact, much of their culture centered around conflict. Though they weren't militaristic fighters at all. Their fighting styles were more of a 'shoot now ask questions later' kind of thing. Planning fights took too much time and besides they aren't too keen on taking orders from anyone. Their blood lust is only outweighed by their lust for credits. They will swallow their pride if they are paid enough. And Kaliyo was paid very well.

"Clearly you do _not _know how to relax. Didn't teach you that in Agent School, did they?"

"It's called an _Academy_ and no, sorry. It wasn't on the syllabus. Perhaps you should suggest it to Keeper. I'm sure that will go over well."

Kaliyo laughed. "Well at least you have a sense of humor,...sort of. Which is more than I can say for your bosses. I don't think I've seen either of them smile once. Are they even human?"

Frustration was growing in Cipher Nine. There was not one planet that she knew of where she could actually 'relax.' This was ridiculous. She wasn't cut out for planning vacations. She started to wonder if she could request a 'job' from Keeper to be used as her vacation. Working _was_ a vacation to her.

"Agent?" Came a soft cultured voice from the threshold. Vector Hyllus stared at Cipher Nine with his solid black eyes. "Might we disturb you for a moment?"

Vector Hyllus was a human who allowed himself to become a Joiner with the Kilik. They were a race of insect humanoids who communicated through a hive mind, which meant that they were physically separate individuals, but they shared one mind via telepathy and pheromones. They could feel each others pain, sorrow, happiness, & love from very great distances. They also had the ability to bring other alien races into the hive mind via their pheromones. Vector was one of these 'alien' races that they accepted into the hive.

Before he had been transformed, he had been an ambassador for the Empire. He was young, handsome, charming, highly intelligent and absolutely perfect for the job of ambassador due to his unending compassion. He had allowed himself to become a Joiner in order to get the Kiliks on the side of the Empire against the Republic. He still looked and behaved very much human with the exception that his eyes were solid black and that he spoke in the third person of the hive mind, but it was enough to put off some people. Cipher Nine was not one of these people. Her face relaxed a little as she smiled warmly in his direction. He returned the smile.

"Of course, Vector. What can I do for you?"

Kaliyo noticed the change in Cipher Nine immediately. Surprised she looked back and forth from one to the other and then she just smiled.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Kaliyo snorted. She burst out laughing. "Well, I think we found the key to your relaxing, Agent. Though I have to admit, I'm beginning to think you are more of a freak than he is."

Cipher Nine went ridged and glared back at Kaliyo. "That's enough, Kaliyo," she said dangerously. "Don't forget you still work for me…"

"Yeah…yeah…" Kaliyo waved nonchalantly. "Don't worry your freaky fetish secret is safe with me. Who knew you would be into insects? No offense, bug boy!" She grinned in Vector's direction who started back without any trace of emotion. "You're just not _my_ type."

Kaliyo grinned back at Cipher Nine. "You know…You surprise me every day, Agent. I think that is why I'm still around. Other than the fact that your bosses pay me an obscene amount of credits, of course." She said winking.

"Agent," Vector began, ignoring Kaliyo all together. "If we may, headquarters is calling in. They said it was important."

Cipher Nine smiled. Oh, please let them have a job for her. The idea of a vacation was just not sitting well with her and she would give anything to be back in the field again.

"Thank you, Vector." She immediately left the bridge and went to the holoterminal. Vector and Kaliyo followed behind her.

She pressed a few buttons on the holoterminal. A computer voice spoke in an even tone, "_Setting up a secure link. Secure link in 3, 2,…Link is secured. You may proceed."_

Just then the bluish image of Watcher Three came to life.

"Ah! Cipher Nine." Watcher Three nodded in respect.

"Watcher Three, to what do I owe this pleasure?" said Cipher Nine.

Watcher Three frowned. "You may not feel it is a 'pleasure' when you hear why I contacted you."

Cipher Nine's brow furrowed in confusion. "Oh? Is something wrong?"

"You are being recalled back to Dromund Kaas. I'm afraid we are going to have to cut your leave short. I'm sorry, Cipher Nine."

Chipher Nine's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh? Oh! Well, that _is_ unfortunate."

Kaliyo coughed "_Liar_!"

Vector glared at Kaliyo in utter disgust for her complete lack of respect in the presence of superior officers. Kaliyo just looked back at him innocently and muttered, "What? This ship is really dusty. I had to cough!"

Just then, an outraged 2V-R8 came reeling around the corner. The droid barreled down to Kaliyo. "Dusty? Dusty? I'll have you know this ship is spotless! I keep it immaculate for my Master! And might I add you don't help to keep it clean. My word! Look at the state of your boots. They are filthy!" His computer voice as high pitched as his voice chip would allow.

"Well, duty comes first, Watcher Three." Cipher Nine said ignoring the comic display that was happening behind her. "So, we'll be there as soon as we can."

"Of…of course…" Watcher Three was slightly distracted by the fact that Kaliyo now had her blaster out and aimed squarely at 2V-R8's head.

"Listen you bucket of bolts! You better be easing up out of my face _real_ quick. Or you'll be cleaning up the mess that was once your head." 2V-R8 immediately backed down.

"Shut it! Both of you!" Bellowed Cipher Nine. Turning back to Watcher Three she smiled pleasantly "As I was saying, Watcher, we'll depart immediately for Dromund Kaas. We weren't really focused on a vacation anyway."

"I was," muttered Kaliyo as she placed her blaster back in its holster still glaring at the droid.

"Well, to be honest, Agent. Vector and Kaliyo are not to return with you. In fact, they are ordered to take their vacation."

Vector stepped forward, "With all due respect, Watcher. Our duty is to the Agent. We would like to accompany her back to Dromund Kaas."

"Speak for yourself." Kaliyo snorted.

"We _were._" Vector said not looking at Kaliyo.

"Oooh. Ok. See…what you did there…_that_ is just creepy. That whole referring to yourself in the third person gives me the heebie-jeebies." Kaliyo took a few mocking steps away from Vector.

"I'm sorry Master Hyllus, but the orders are that only Cipher Nine is to return. That comes directly from the Minister of Intelligence." Watcher Three said apologetically. Vector nodded but the look on his face showed traces of uncertainty.

"Very well, Watcher." Cipher Nine nodded in acceptance. "I will drop Vector and Kaliyo off at a place of their choosing and then return to Dromund Kaas. Will I be meeting the Minister of Intelligence?"

Watcher Three nodded, "Yes. But I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you much more. Drop your companions off and then return to headquarters immediately. Watcher Three, out."

The image of Watcher Three flickered and then disappeared.

"We don't like this, Agent." Vector's black eyes were locked on Cipher Nine, concern etched into his features. "Something feels…_odd_ about this."

"I agree, Vector." Cipher Nine nodded. "But when the Minister of Intelligence requests a meeting, you don't ask questions."

"Agreed, agent," he said nodding. "We know we don't have to tell you this, but keep your guard up. We won't be there to act as your body guard."

"I'll be fine, Vector. Don't worry. And for the record, I've saved your hide as much as you've saved mine. I can handle myself." Vector smiled a winning smile at her. Turning to Kaliyo "So, Kaliyo…where would you like to go?"

Kaliyo grinned, "You know? I've thought about it and I'm gonna go to Zeltros. I've never been before and I've been dying to cause a little bit of trouble for those pampered rich babies. Might even find some credits just _lying_ around somewhere too. Now _that's_ a vacation, Agent."

"I'll take your word for it. Just don't cause too much trouble. I'm not keen on the idea of having to come break you out of a jail cell."

Kaliyo plastered a mock look of offense on her face. "Hey! Agent! It's _me_."

"I know…and that's what worries me." Kaliyo grinned back at Cipher Nine devilishly. Turning to Vector, Cipher Nine said, "And what about you? Did you want to accompany Kaliyo to Zeltros?"

"Woah! Bug boy is not invited, Agent! He'll just cramp my style!"

"No…we feel that babysitting the Rattataki would be an unpleasant experience for us as well as her," Vector said with a slight tone of disdain in his voice.

"Ok then, where would you like to go?" Cipher asked.

"We are not happy about leaving your side, but if we must, we believe we'd like to visit our people back on Alderaan. There are a few matters that require our attention there and now would be a good opportunity."

"Very well." Turning on her heel and heading back on to the bridge. "Let's not waste any more time. All crew, prepare for light speed."

Sitting in the captain's chair Cipher Nine input the coordinates for the three light speed jumps. The engines of the Phantom sprang to life as the ship turned automatically for its first destination point. Just before it sprang forward into the stars, Cipher Nine couldn't help but sense that Vector was right. She had a bad feeling about this.


	3. The Guests Arrive

**Chapter 3-The Guests Arrive  
><strong>

Rain pelted the window and left rivers of streaks down the pane as they descended. Flashes of oddly colored lightning lit up the night sky above the citadel, illuminating the courtyard below as agents, workers, bounty hunters, and Sith scrambled to find some sort of cover from the particularly strong onslaught of water the clouds decided to dump on them.

Dromund Kaas was not known to be a sunny planet. It rained ninety-five percent of the time and that brief five percent of sun left the tropical planet sweltering in the humidity. Still, the flora and fauna of the planet seemed to thrive as the jungle threatened to engulf the massive citadel of the Empire's capital. Funny that so much life surrounded so much death.

The Minister of Intelligence stood still as a statue as he stared out the window of his office high atop one of the citadel's spires. His hawk like gaze watching the purple tinged lightning streak down from the sky and hit the lightning spires. These lightning spires were massive lightning rods that were built to serve two purposes. Firstly, to redirect the extremely lethal bolts away from the citizens of the planet who needed dwell upon its surface without having to worry about being struck every time they set foot outside of their dwellings. To be honest, they had enough to worry about with the creatures of the swamp that threatened to swallow them whole if they weren't careful. And secondly, they were to serve as a source of renewable energy. There was so much lightning on this planet that if the reactors were ever to go down, the lightning alone could power the citadel for a century without interruption.

The lightning flashed again bathing his face in a brief purple tint as he mused about what power in flux can do. He had lived long enough to know that destruction comes from an imbalance of power. And life will always list toward its balancing point whether people liked it or not. The sky above him rumbled. To fight the change was not only impossible it was a damned waste of time and energy. His steel grey eyes darted to the spire that contained the Sith on the opposite side of the citadel. He sensed the balance was going to be shifting very soon and he, for once in his life, was going to be ready. One may not be able to stop a storm, but one can certainly take cover from it and ride it out. Yes. He was ready.

The Minister took a deep breath and with a dangerously pleasant voice addressed his seemingly empty office.

"So, you made it into my office unnoticed. A remarkable feat in itself, I must say, and now that you are here, exactly how were you going to present yourself to me without revealing your new _talent_?" The Minister didn't even bother turning around. Silence answered him back.

"Acolyte…" he began slightly dangerously. "Enough of this charade. I know you are there."

The shadows in the corner of the room seemed to congregate and solidify into the shape of a beautiful woman. Darth Ravage's apprentice, Kara Xylax, stepped out from the shadows as one would a smoke cloud. She sauntered over to where the Minister still stood staring out the window. Her face, a mask, beautiful and impassive. But behind the mask stormed an intelligent mind furious at being caught by a man who had not the slightest Force sensitivity within him anywhere. Clearly her master was right. Darth Ravage had warned her, the Minister was not a man to be underestimated under any circumstances. She had originally thought he was being overcautious, but now she could see he was being very serious and she was beginning to see why.

"You knew I was here?" she asked him trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Of course." The Minister said still staring out the window but now looking at the sky. His eyes focused on something in the distance.

"How? Might I ask?" Her mask was barely able to hide her frustration and curiosity.

Taking a deep breath the Minster turned and addressed the young woman in front of him. "I would not be standing here today if I wasn't always aware of my surroundings."

"Yes, but what exactly…"

The Minister tersely interrupted her, "I've been in Intelligence for a very long time. Too long. And I would be a poor Intelligence Minister indeed if I allowed a Sith acolyte to sneak into my personal office without my knowledge. I mean no offense, of course." He smiled a smile that wasn't reflected in his eyes.

Kara met the Minister's condescending gaze with an air of defiance. _ 'No offense,' indeed! He meant every word of that as an offense. That haughty peon._She wanted desperately to show him just how dangerous a game he was playing with her. Her fingers instinctively twitched toward her saber as visions of the glowing blade liberating his patronizing head from his shoulders made her inwardly grin with glee.

The Minister stared back. Almost daring her with his eyes. She was sorely tempted, but killing the Minister of Intelligence would not gain her any favor with her master. Though Ravage had no love for the Minister, they respected each other's cunning and power enough to stay out of each other's way for the most part. For her master's sake, she would allow the Minister to live...for now.

Swallowing her rage and replacing the mask of beauty and indifference she pleasantly replied, "Of course. My apologies, Minister." Reaching within her robes Kara pulled out a long black box and held it out to the Minister. "Per your agreement with Darth Ravage, I have the serum you are to administer to your agent."

The Minister took the box from her and opened it. Inside contained the vial and the injector with a fresh batch of the serum glittering within its glass house. Taking the vial out of its cradle he walked over to the computer in the far wall. Pushing a few buttons a small door within the console opened up. Placing the vial in the computer he looked at the screen in front of him.

"Identify the liquid within the vial."

The voice of the computer replied immediately,_"Identifying...Identification complete. Substance is dimalium-6. Also known as the SLV serum series and IX serum. Used for the placing Castellan Restraints upon a subject. Better known as brainwashing."_

"

Are there any chemicals within the vial that are lethal to humans?_" _the Minister asked.

"One moment please. Negative. There are no lethal chemicals found within this particular sample. Though repeated use upon the same subject is strongly discouraged due to past subjects entering a vegetative state when administered too often.. There is no reversing the effects."

Nodding his satisfaction he removed the vial and placed it back in its cradle. With a flick of the wrist he snapped the box closed again and placed it on the desk.

"You thought it was poisoned." Kara said accusingly. "You don't trust me."

The Minister walked back to the computer and pressed a few more buttons.

"I don't trust anyone, Acolyte. Least of all you or your masters." Kara opened her mouth with a scathing reply, but the Minster interrupted her. "Don't pretend to be offended. Your masters don't trust me either or you wouldn't be here. This is the way these so called game are played. You should know that by now."

Kara watched as he continued to enter a few more things into the computer's console. The Minister looked back at the screen and spoke to the computer, "Prepare for secured recording. Access Level Delta One. Stored under Minister of Intelligence personal records. Maximum Security Level."

"_Recording prepared. Security level set at Maximum . Go ahead, sir."_The computer chirped in reply.

Standing with his arms behind his back the Minister began to speak, "Security directive 101-3A. I hereby approve the application of Castellan Restraints to designate Cipher Nine. Despite her effectiveness, certain Lords of the Sith have expressed concern over her confrontation with Darth Jadus. Although the outcome was ultimately positive, no cipher agent should ever threaten a Dark Council Member. This safe guard will allow anyone with the keyword to shut down and reprogram Cipher Nine's mind. She will no longer be a danger to Sith or the Empire...End recording now."

"_Recording ended_."

"Store recording."

"_Recording stored._"

Turning and walking back to his desk, the Minister addressed the young woman glaring at him from across the room. "Acolyte, you will be here for everything but the keyword programming. I cannot let anyone know the word, save myself. That was the deal I made with your master, and that should satisfy him and the rest of the Council."

Kara nodded. "Very well. When does she arrive?"

"Shortly, I imagine. Her ship just landed about 5 minutes ago. She should be on her way here now." He said sitting down behind his desk. Gesturing to the chair on the other side of his desk he offered Kara a seat. "You are welcome to sit, Acolyte. There is no reason to stand the whole time. And I assure you, my office chairs are a great deal more comfortable then standing in a shadowy corner for an hour pretending to be invisible." There was an unmistakable smirk on the Ministers face.

Her eyes flashed in anger. He dared to mock her. This man was irritating her more and more with each passing second. Though she saw red, she merely smiled a humorless smile in return and said, "Thank you, but I prefer to stand, if it is all the same to you Minister." Truth was she wanted to be on her feet. It made her feel like she was more in control.

"It makes little difference to me. Suit yourself." The Minister shrugged.

Eager to get down to business Kara changed the subject. "When your agent gets here how will we proceed? Do you have a plan?

"I do," was all he said.

Annoyed by the Minister's lack of elaboration Kara stared back at him and hissed "_And_?"

"We are simply just going to have a chat. That is all."

"I see. Shall go invisible and inject her while you distract her with idle chit chat?" Kara practically spat out.

The Minister shook his head slightly. "No."

Kara's eyes narrowed, "No? If you are worried about me hurting your agent I can assure you I have no intentions of doing so."

The Minister chuckled a little as his icy eyes stared right through the acolyte. "I'm not worried about you hurting her, Acolyte. I'm more worried about _her _hurting _you_."

Rage continued to build in her. She may not be a fully fledged Sith but she had power within her and she was growing tired of this simpleton patronizing her. "Minister, if I wanted to, I could end the life of your agent in a flash. It is only my misfortune that I am tasked with aiding you in brainwashing this silly girl and not having her executed as she should be. I am a Sith. Don't forget that."

The Minister leaned forward and then stood slowly with an eerie dangerousness while never taking his eyes from the naive young woman who stood before him, "And may I remind _you_, Kara Xylax of the very reason you are standing before me right now as we have this conversation; The very reason why the Dark Council has forced me into a brainwashing one of my best agents. Need I remind you that Cipher Nine not only faced a Sith more powerful than you by far, but a Sith whose power was second only that of the Emperor's. Your masters have the common sense to be concerned about their safety when she is around, and so should you be. Have a little respect."

Kara stood rigid. Refusing to back down, but not daring to attack anymore. Fury raged within her. One day this man would die and she would be there to watch every agonizing moment he had with relish. This she promised herself as she remained silent.

A beeping from the Minister's desk broke the silence between the two of them. The Minister pushed a button on the console. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you, sir" came the voice of one of the Watchers. "Cipher Nine is on her way to the Citadel. Shall I send her up immediately when she arrives?"

"Yes." The Minister replied shortly. "When she gets here we are not to be disturbed. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." replied the voice.

The Minister opened the black box sitting on his desk. Taking the vial and injector from the box he loaded the vial into it. He checked to see if it was working properly before hiding the thin pen-like tube up his sleeve. He removed the box from the top of his desk and placed it in a drawer next to him.

"Now, acolyte, feel free to blend yourself back into the shadows. I will handle everything else. You'll only need to watch and report back to your master. I assume you can manage that."

Kara grit her teeth as she disappeared within the shadows once again. How easy it would be to simply break his neck right now. That was the only thought that kept her amused for the next 10 minutes that passed until the agent arrived.

One day, the tables will be turned.

* * *

><p>"Chiper Nine!" A young man came bounding up to the agent when she walked into Intelligence Headquarters. "It is good to see you!"<p>

She smiled warmly at the young man as she desperately tried to shake the rain water off her flak jacket and hair. "It is good to see you too, Watcher Three. How are things here?"

The Watcher looked grim. "Oh, about the same as when you left."

"That good?" The agent joked.

"Afraid so. Things have gotten a bit stormy with the Sith."

Cipher Nine took a moment to look around headquarters. There were several new watchers glued to monitors watching their designated agents and advising them along the way. Fixers rushed about like usual making adjustments to equipment here and there. Everything seemed much like she left it, except...there was something off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though. As Vector mentioned, she would have to be on her guard.

"I'm sure my little chat with Jadus didn't help improve Sith relations."

"Doubtful." Watcher Three looked at his feet and said in a whisper, "But we are grateful that you stood your ground regardless, Agent. For whatever that's worth to you."

"Thank you Watcher Three." She smiled briefly. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she made the right decision or not. She could still hear the people screaming over the intercom of Darth Jadus's ship. When she activated the Eradicators Jadus decided to listen to the cries of those who were dying from the toxins as if he were listening to a symphony. It gave him pleasure. The screams followed her throughout the ship as she shut down the ships defenses. Every cry threatened to distract her from her duty. A piece of her wanted to curl up in a ball, put her hands to her ears and pretend it wasn't happening. After all, she herself had turned the Eradicators on even if it was just for a short time. But years of training took over and she managed to coldly block out the cries until her deed was done. In the end, Jadus was caught and imprisoned. It would be little consolation to the family members who lost loved ones from her choice, but there were thousands of lives that were spared because of her actions. So it was worth it. At least that is what she told herself.

"Where is Keeper?" Cipher Nine asked as she pushed aside her memories.

"I'm afraid she is indisposed at the moment. But I have been ordered to escort you to the Minister of Intelligence's office the moment you arrived."

Cipher Nine looked at Watcher Three confused. "'She'?"

Watcher Three returned Cipher Nine's confused look. "Yes, 'She.' Oh! You don't know, do you?" Watcher Three smiled. Cipher Nine shook her head. "Watcher Two was promoted to Keeper shortly after you took your leave. And I was promoted to her position in her place."

"Oh? Well that is good news for Watcher Two and for you! Congratulations, are in order, I suppose."

"Yes, thank you, Cipher." A sudden fear gripped her stomach for her old Keeper. She was hoping that her handling of Jadus didn't put him in a perilous situation. A lot had happened on his watch and the Sith weren't fond of failure.

"Watcher, what happened to the old Keeper?" she began almost fearing the news. "Is he alright?"

"I should say he is. That is who you are going to meet now!" Watcher Three smiled. "Follow me, please." The two of them walked toward an elevator near the back of the headquarters.

"Keeper was promoted to Minister of Intelligence?" Cipher Nine's eyebrows shot up in complete surprise.

"He was indeed." Watcher nodded.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." Cipher Nine breathed happily.

Relief spilled over her. She had feared the worst for his safety. It seemed that some good had come from her actions after all. That made her feel a little better. As an agent she was able to push aside her emotions and focus on the job. But that didn't mean she didn't have them. There were some agents she worked with who were almost soulless automatons. They'd kill their own mothers without so much as a flinch. Cipher Nine had no intentions of turning herself into a soulless killing machine. As far as she saw, the Sith did enough of that for the entire Empire. Besides, she liked being able to think for herself. Keeper actually seemed to like that with his agents. A balance between duty and free will were traits that he cherished most in his agents. It meant he had to hold their hands less.

Cipher Nine and Watcher Three entered the elevator and the doors shut a moment later. The elevator gently launched from its starting point and then quickly accelerated to a dizzying speed as it shot up the floors to its destination atop the Intelligence spire.

The elevator started to slow as it neared its destination. Again she had that sinking feeling all of the sudden. She felt nervous and she didn't know why. She still couldn't imagine what was so important that she had to be called away from her vacation.

The elevator stopped. And the doors opened to a long corridor leading to a large door.

"It's the door at the end of the corridor. He will be expecting you, Cipher."

Cipher Nine walked out of the elevator and turned back to smile faintly at Watcher Three.

"Thank you, Watcher Three."

"Good luck, Agent." The elevator doors closed and he was gone.

Turning and walking down the hallway she made her way to the Minister's Office. She was both looking forward to seeing him again but also dreading it for some reason. Taking a deep breath put her hand on the Minister's Door and pushed. The door opened immediately.


	4. The Greater Good

**Chapter 4 - The Greater Good**

"Enter, Cipher Nine" came a familiar voice from within the office.

Pushing harder on the door Cipher Nine entered the massive office. Her eyes darted around the room taking inventory of her surroundings before they settled upon the Minister who stood still as a statue behind his desk with his arms folded behind his back; his eyes fixed on her. Control emanating from him like an aura. She admired that. Even when _The Dominator _was breaking into pieces above Dromund Kaas he restored order to the utterly shocked facility and its people by immediately barking orders and focusing everyone's attention on their jobs. He was the pure definition of what it takes to be a leader and staying ahead of the game was what he did best.

The Minister was wearing a new uniform she noticed. It was a darker grey that had a solid black shoulder epaulettes. He also wore a diagonal black chest strap that carried four small ammunition pouches. Attached to the shoulder strap was a blood red aiguillette**. **He still sported the black leather gloves that he seemed to fancy so much. And his officer's boots were spit polished as usual. Everything was in its place. Very fitting for his personality, she mused.

Closing the door behind her she nodded her respect to her superior office and then stood in an "at ease" position with her arms behind her back; mirroring his stance while waiting for his acknowledgement.

"It is good to see you again, Cipher Nine." The Minister said while gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

Cipher Nine walked over and sat in the offered chair. "It is good to see you too, Keep-... _Minister._" Cipher Nine quickly corrected herself. "Forgive me, sir. I'm not use to all the changes quite yet." Looking up she searched the Ministers face expecting to see him frown from her gaffe. What she saw instead surprised her. The Minister smiled...sort of. It was a faint one, but it wasn't the smile itself that surprised her. It was the fact that this smile, no matter how small, seemed genuine. "Which reminds me. Congratulations on the promotion, sir."

"Thank you, Cipher," he said sitting. "And it is all right. I'm not quite used to the changes myself." The Minister steepled his gloved fingers and rested them against his lips while taking a deep breath "I feel I must apologize for cutting your furlough short, Cipher, but I'm..."

"It's alright, sir," Cipher Nine interrupted a little too quickly. "I'm not fond of vacations. Work _is _my vacation and I am eager to get back onto the field."

The Minister's frowned a little. "Indeed" The Minister shook his head slightly. "Cipher, far be it for me to tell you what to do with your free time, but I must insist that you do _have _free time. I cannot allow my agents to become a liability due to mental and physical exhaustion."

Cipher Nine nodded in understanding. "Yes, sir."

"Be that as it may, your furlough is going to have to wait. We have some business to attend to. Firstly, I need a few reports from you."

"Of course, sir." Cipher Nine was grateful to be back on a more comfortable subject.

"I'd like to know how Kaliyo is fairing? Has she settled down a bit?"

Cipher Nine had to stifle a laugh. "Kaliyo" and the phrase "settled down" do not belong in the same sentence let alone in the same conversation. "I wouldn't exactly say she has 'settled down,' sir. She has become more tolerant of an unusual situation for her. I noticed immediately that she is not keen on taking orders. So, I've adjusted _how _I give them to her and she is starting to acquiesces a little more."

"Good." The Minister nodded. "The Rattataki aren't known for their militaristic ideals. So it doesn't surprise me that she is against taking orders. But they are fierce fighters nevertheless, and have proven to be a great asset to the Empire..so long as you keep a tight hold on their leash via your purse strings." The Minister smirked.

"How much _are _we paying Kaliyo to work for us?" This was something Cipher Nine had been eager to know for quite some time.

"Enough," The Minister said plainly, making it clear that he had no intention of revealing Kaliyo's cost. Seeing the concern on Cipher Nine's face he added, "You needn't worry about her looking for 'greener pastures' if that is what concerns you, Cipher."

"Yes, sir. It's just, I was wondering if the cost justifies the means?"

The Minister cocked his head slightly in consideration. "_You _tell me, Cipher. Has she not done what she has been ordered to do?"

Cipher shrugged slightly, "She has done everything that I've asked her to do. Though, not without an argument or two."

"Have her combat skills been sufficient?"

Cipher Nine smiled, "She's certainly unorthodox when it comes to fighting but she _is _effective, I'll give you that. She's got a quick fuse which has gotten us into trouble more than once, but she has never backed down from a good fight. Even when the odds were well against us."

"Then what seems to be your issues with her, Cipher?"

"Oh I assure you, sir. I have no _real _problems with her. It's just that..." Cipher struggled with her wording. Finally, it seemed that frustration got the better of her. "Sir. I don't trust her."

The Minister smiled a cold smile. "Nor should you, Cipher Nine. You shouldn't trust anyone you come in contact with." The Minister continued to stare at his agent while his gloved hand tapped on his lips lightly. "Not even me." Cipher Nine's brow furrowed slightly. "Trust is not a luxury we can afford, Cipher. And if you don't trust anyone, you won't be disappointed which means you may just live a little bit longer."

Cipher Nine frowned. "Prepare for the worst and hope for the best?"

The Minister nodded slightly, "Something like that, yes. But it is more than that, Cipher. You have to learn to read people. It is a skill that comes with time but it is crucial that you develop it. Kaliyo is resourceful, intelligent, and she is _dangerous_. She is a weapon. And a weapon is lethal no matter whose hands they are in. So, it is better to be the person pointing the weapon than the person it is being pointed at."

"You have my full agreement there, sir."

"Good. And what of Vector?"

Cipher Nine smiled warmly, but quickly wiped the look off her face when she saw the Minister's eyes narrow slightly. She was projecting her emotions too much. She chastised herself for letting herself be readable. Shifting uncomfortably in her chair she focused on the question. "He has been most helpful, sir. He is the exact opposite of Kaliyo. Where Kaliyo is fire, he is ice. His calm demeanor and his diplomatic tendencies have managed to keep me from having to solve every problem with a fist. Much to Kaliyo's disappointment."

"I'm sure." The Minister said, mildly amused.

"But he is a skilled fighter when it is needed. He has saved my skin more than a couple of times, I'm ashamed to admit."

"Have there been any issues with him being a Joiner?"

Cipher Nine shook her head. "Nothing that I can't handle. Some are a little startled by his appearance and the way he talks but other than that, no."

The Minister nodded satisfied. "Vector is a good man, Cipher. He was a fortunate addition to your team. His handlers in the diplomatic offices were wasting his talents. It took little convincing them to have him transferred to Intelligence. Though that is not surprising. He has a long list of enemies in the Embassy."

Cipher Nine's eyes widened in shock. "How could he possibly have enemies? He doesn't seem the type of person who would find himself in anyone's bad graces."

"He speaks his mind, Cipher." The Minister said coldly. "For some, that is enough," he said shrugging nonchalantly. Folding his arms as he leaned back in his chair he continued. "I was witness to one such occasion about five years ago at an Embassy gala before he became a Joiner. He was a young and ambitious diplomat who was fast moving up the proverbial ladder. I believe at that time he was working under Commander Uthen. During this gala Vector got himself into a heated debate about certain trade laws between Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa with a high ranking government officer. Though he was calm, Vector refused to back down on his opinions of the situation despite the fact that he was outranked by this officer. Commander Uthen did his best to try and silence Vector during this debate but the young man stood his ground against his opponent despite his Commander's interference. I found it surprising because the diplomats I've come across in my career rarely stand their ground. They always look for the compromise. Vector was different."

Cipher Nine's curiosity was getting the better of her. "Who was the officer he was arguing with?"

The Minister smiled sinisterly before finally saying, "Me."

Cipher Nine's mouth dropped open slightly from pure shock. It wasn't often that people surprised her but the Minister was the exception to that rule. You never knew what was going on in that man's mind. It was very unsettling and she decided then and there that she never wanted to be this man's enemy.

"I've met thousands of people over my career, Cipher. Most people I come across are like artificial gems. They sparkle, they shine, they look valuable..." His grey eyes seemed to frost over and then darted to a corner of the room before he continued. Cipher Nine followed his gaze to the same corner out of curiosity. But there was nothing there of interest. It was empty save an Imperial flag standing silently and regally. Furrowing her brow she looked back at the Minister as he continued to stare at the corner as if speaking directly to someone. "But make no mistake, they are worthless and forgettable. No amount of polish will ever make them valuable." His eyes came back to focus on Cipher's face and the frost melted from his gaze. "But there are a precious few who are true gems. One of my talents is being able to pick out the genuine articles from a sea of frauds."

Cipher Nine shook her head wordlessly. "You surprise me, sir."

"Why is that?" The Minister asked, his face lit with curiosity.

"Most people in your position would have silenced Vector instantly. But you allowed him to debate you."

"I did." The Minister said matter-of-factually. "Cipher, my rank does not exempt me from being wrong from time to time. And unlike some, I don't abuse my power. Also, my ego is not so fragile that it would be threatened by someone who has a different opinion than mine. Truth be told, I respected Vector for standing his ground and keeping the debate civilized. It showed me that he had both a brain rattling around in that head of his and also control over his emotions. Two things I value highly.

I could have mindless drones doing my will if I wished it." The Ministered continued. "But I don't. I want intelligent people who can follow orders but also make quick rational judgment calls on their own." His face darkened and he frowned a bit. "Which brings me to _you_, Cipher."

Cipher's stomach lurched a bit as those cold grey eyes fixed themselves on her. She felt very insecure at the moment and she wasn't sure why. If the Minister was anyone else she would have had her blaster pointed at his head with the finger on the trigger ready for a fight, but she resisted the urge. Swallowing she murmured "Sir?"

"We need to have a little chat about your last mission." The Minister's voice was cold and even.

"Yes, sir." Cipher nodded.

"Are you aware that you have caused me a _great _deal of trouble with the Dark Council?" he said with a raised eyebrow dangerously.

Cipher Nine nodded again."I suspected there might be some fallout from my decision, sir. But I assure you that was not my goal. I had a choice to make and I made it. I stand by my choice."

The Minister frowned. "Cipher, you confronted a Dark Council member." Each word was clipped with irritation. "Do you understand the consequences of your actions? I'm sure I don't have to remind you what the penalty for that is?"

Cipher Nine's stomach was tightening. She didn't like where this conversation was going. "No, sir."

The Minister nodded solemnly. Eying her closely, "Then _why _did you choose to confront him?"

Cipher looked up into the Minister's face. Her face hard and cold, "Because he was insane, sir."

The Minister frowned in response, "Be that as it may, Cipher, he was still a Dark Council member. They control the Empire whether you like it or not. Surely you knew what your fate would be for your decision."

Cipher Nine nodded once. "I did."

"And you still chose to confront him." This wasn't a question.

"I had no other options, sir," Cipher Nine said in defense.

"You could have left the ship and sought reinforcements," offered the Minister.

Cipher Nine shook her head. "I assure you, sir. I had no idea he was the one behind everything. How could I? He was declared dead. It wasn't until I was face to face with him that on the bridge of his ship, that even I knew he was alive let alone how bad the situation actually was. Believe me, if I could have retreated and called for reinforcements I would have. But he needed the other half of the codes to the Eradicators that he knew that I had them. He wasn't going to let me go anywhere until he got them."

"Tell me," began the Minister. "What did he offer you to get them from you?" The Minister knew damn well what he offered her but he wanted to hear it from her. He had to know what was going through her mind when Darth Jadus tempted her. He had to be sure he knew who he was dealing with here.

Cipher Nine's eyes fixed on the floor lost in the memory of that horrific day. "What every Sith offers to get what they want. Power... or death." Shaking her head she continued, "He offered me a place at his side. A place of respect and influence. I would bow to no one but him. The Ministry of Intelligence would be mine to control." She looked up to the Minister whose face remained cold and impassive. "I would never want for anything. And I knew he meant every word."

"That was quite an offer." The Minister said with ice in his voice. "Why didn't you take it?"

Cipher's jaw tightened. "Because I would still be a slave, sir. Golden shackles are still shackles. I didn't want that."

The Minister's face softened slightly. "We are all slaves to something or someone, Cipher. And make no mistake...we all dream of the day when those chains will be broken." She looked down at her hands. The Minister was right. She dreamed of the day where she could walk away from all of this madness. She loved the Empire with all her heart because she firmly believed that the Empire was the only thing that could bring order to the Galaxy. But she was no longer a child anymore and the Empire was no longer the shining utopia she once thought it was. Those childish idealized dreams were utterly destroyed the day that she was forced to make a horrible decision that killed a few thousand innocent people for the "greater good."

"It hurts. Doesn't it?" asked the Minister.

Cipher Nine looked up confused. "Sir?"

"Finding out the thing you love isn't at all what you thought it was," he said with a mild tone of sympathy combined with bitterness in his voice. "For what it is worth, your decision only killed a couple thousand people as opposed to the millions that would have perished if Darth Jadus's plan had seen the full light of day."

Cipher shook her head. A few thousand lives seemed like too much to her. "Sometimes I think that perhaps I should have let him kill me sir. Then none of those people would have died."

The Minister raised an eyebrow, "Do you really believe that, Cipher?"

Did she? No. She didn't. All she would have succeeded in doing was delaying him a bit. Jadus wanted those Eradicators to go off and he would have found a way. He would have simply disappeared, regrouped, and then launched the attack at a better time. It would have simply been a stay of execution. Slowly she shook her head. Still, so many lives...she would have to live with her decision forever.

Cipher Nine stared back at the Minister searching his emotionless face. The Minister took in a soft breath and let it out slowly as he gazed back at her. Suddenly, a very quick and faint twinge of sadness flashed across his features and it was gone as quickly as it came. _He knows_. He has been there before. How many times did he have to make the same kind of decision she made? How many innocent lives were lost because of his decisions? How did he manage to live with it? She never once considered what events that may have happened in this man's past that shaped him into the weapon that he is today. But somehow she knew that he has been witness to more horrors than she could even possibly count and not only that, but he was responsible for many of them.

The Minister nodded silently at her as if he could read her thoughts. Then he simply pressed the tips of his gloved fingers against each other and leaned back casually. "I would say it gets better, Cipher. But that would be a lie," he said coldly. "What I _can _assure you is that you will find ways of living with it. We all do. Those of us who live, that is."

That last statement weighed heavily on, Cipher Nine. Suddenly she knew why she felt so much dread. She may _not _live. The Dark Council was calling for her execution; she was sure of it. The Dark Council's ego was hurt and they demanded retribution. The only thing she found surprising is that it took this long for the order to come down from above. What were they waiting for?

"Sir," Cipher Nine began with a calm voice. "They want my execution, don't they?"

The Minister's lips pulled tight into a frown. "They do," he said simply.

Cipher Nine nodded her head in acceptance. What else could she do? If she ran, then the Dark Council would take their anger out on the Ministry and in the end, they would find her. She couldn't allow that to happen. Besides, running wasn't an option to her.

Rising to her feet with dignity she addressed the Minister. "Then I accept the consequences, sir. I willingly defied a Dark Council Member, but I did it for the good of the Empire. Darth Jadus would have destroyed much of the Empire with his warmongering. Sith, soldier, and civilian would have perished at his hand without even so much as a thought if he was allowed to rule. I couldn't let that happen. If the Dark Council refuse to see that one of their own kind was mad, then I will accept full responsibility and the punishment that will follow. But you can damn well be sure that if I had the chance to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing."

The Minister smiled another rare genuine smile. He stared at her for a few moments as if he was considering something. Nodding in some sort of satisfaction he swiftly stood and regarded the pillar of strength that stood before him.

"Cipher, you're not going to be executed," said the Minister as walked over to the window. "Not yet, at least."

Cipher Nine eyed the Minister suspiciously, unsure of what she just heard. "Sir?" she breathed.

"You are not going to be executed." He said again slowly, not taking his eye away from the window.

Cipher Nine couldn't decide if she was more shocked or disturbed at this new development. Benevolence and forgiveness were not usual Sith traits. How was this possible? Her brain quickly tried to make sense of this.

Sensing the silent emotional turmoil happening behind him the Minister spoke up. "I convinced the Dark Council that you were worth more alive than dead." Cipher Nine could see his jaw muscles tighten slightly "But it came with a cost, I'm afraid."

"What cost?" Cipher Nine asked not sure she wanted to hear the answer. She approached the Minister whose back was still to her. He made some sort of deal with them in order to save her life. Why? She was expendable, she knew that. It's part of the job description. Why go through all of this? And more importantly, what did he have to sacrifice in order to keep her alive, she wondered.

The Minister turned his head slightly, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Come here, Cipher."

Cipher Nine felt rooted to the spot. A piece of her didn't want to move from where she stood. There was just too many things that seemed so wrong about this situation and for the first time in his service, she was actually scared of the man whose back was to her.

Swallowing her fear she approached the Minister and stood to his left. They both stared out the window at the citadel spires for a few moments. Despite the storm there were people far below whizzing in and out of the building like tiny fireflies. That combined with the flashes of lightning that crackled across the night sky made it almost hypnotizing.

"I never had an office with a window before," the Minister said somewhat under his breath. "I never wanted one. They are a liability in this business. They can be dangerous. They are a chink in your armor for enemies to exploit. And yet, I find myself standing here gazing out at the citadel almost every night."

Cipher Nine, glanced over at the Minister. His features were softer now and his shoulders seemed to relax as he stared out at the city. She felt the tension leave her muscles slowly.

"When I was young man, I envisioned the Empire to be something quite different than it is today. I was a naive fool who believed that the world existed solely in shades of black and white. But as I got older I discovered that life isn't black and white and it took me a long time to come to terms with that." Shaking his head slightly he continued in almost whispered tones, "Life would be so much easier if it was monochromatic. There would be no room for variation. Most of the Sith and the Jedi base the foundations of their beliefs on life being either one or the other. It is for that reason only that I both envy and pity them."

Cipher Nine looked back out the window. She watched the rain droplets drip down the windowpane. Lightning flashed again dilating her pupils for moment in reaction. Thunder rumbled overhead.

"Why are you telling me this, sir?" Cipher Nine asked. It was unusual for the Minister to share any personal thoughts.

"Because I want you to remember that every decision comes with both rewards and consequences. And, like this window, some decisions are worth the consequences. Do you understand?"

Cipher Nine nodded, though she wasn't sure she really did.

"Good." Said the Minister nodding once. "Then I hope someday you will forgive me for the choice I was forced to make."

A flash of silver dropped out of the Ministers sleeve and into his gloved hand. Then with a speed that rivaled even Cipher Nine's reflexes his other arm snaked around her waist and pinned her to his chest. Before she could process what exactly was happening she felt the cold stab of the injector dig into her neck. The injector beeped followed by a slight hiss as the serum was released into her veins. Cipher Nine could feel the liquid travel both up and down her neck. It started out cold but then seemed to warm as it went.

_NO! How did this happen? How could you have been so stupid?_ Her inner dread screamed at her, _I told you!_ _ You should have seen this coming! You knew something was going on. The Minister even warned you not to trust him!_ The irony of his warning hit her hard as tears of frustration gathered in her eyes. W_hat's he injecting me with?_

Rage and panic started to build within her as she struggled in the Minister's arms. Her strength was already weakening from whatever was now coursing through her blood stream. Her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. Panic was gaining more control within her by the minute.

Cipher Nine felt the Minister's breath close to her ear as he whispered to her, "Remember your training, Cipher!" He said with urgency in his voice. "Focus! Control your panic. This is not going to kill you. Just relax."

Relax? How could she possibly relax when her body was shutting down slowly? Her mind was screaming with betrayal.

"Cipher!" he whispered again almost in a hiss. "Relax! That is an order!" His arm tightened around her waist with emphasis. "Or it is going to hurt more than it needs to! Struggling against the serum will lock your muscles and cause them to spasm. Relax!"

Why is he whispering, she wondered? But, panic pushed aside her curiosity and she continued to struggle. Her limbs started to lock up as he said they would and she could feel the pain building with each second. Somewhere in the recesses of her panicked mind the calm inner agent pointed out that if he was going to kill her, he could have just put a blaster to the back of her head and pulled the trigger. He wasn't lying to her. She decided to take a chance and do as he said. Drawing deep within herself she calmed herself. One by one she relaxed the muscles in her body. As she did they immediately stopped locking and she felt waves of relief surge through her.

The beep from the injector indicated it had emptied its contents and was now completed. The Minister pulled it from Cipher Nine's neck and threw it to the floor in disgust. Small pin pricks of blood welled from the wound the needles in the injector made. Normally these injectors leave no marks at all but her struggling caused her flesh to tear slightly. The Minister wiped the blood away with a gloved hand and continued to hold her steady as her legs buckled slightly beneath her.

"The serum is going to temporarily put you to sleep, Cipher Nine." The Minister continued to whisper in her ear. She could feel his breath on her cheek. "I promise you, no harm will come to you. Just let sleep take you."

As the Minister spoke, Cipher Nine could feel sleep dragging her down. She wanted to refuse, she wanted to run, but the warm embrace of sleep seemed so inviting and she was so tired. She felt herself falling, but gentle arms held her and slowly lowered her into the deep warm darkness of sleep.


	5. The Tangled Web

**Chapter Five - The Tangled Web**

"Open your eyes, Cipher."

Cipher Nine obeyed the Minister's soft command. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. The Minister leaned in with a small pen light and shined it in her eyes. Her pupils remained dilated.

Nodding as he placed the pen light back on the desk, he murmured, "She is ready for the programming."

"Finally," sighed to Kara to herself as she sauntered over to where Cipher Nine sat like an inactive droid to get a closer look at this "dangerous" agent. Cipher Nine's eyes stared blankly ahead and Kara could not see a single thing about her that was above average let alone remarkable. This _thing _confronted Darth Jadus, Kara questioned herself with a sneer. As far as she was concerned, Darth Ravage was right when it came to Cipher Nine. Put the wretched creature down and be done with it. All this fuss over this agent was borderline comical.

Kara looked at the Minister. His face was cold and impassive as he continued in his ministrations of Cipher Nine before the programming. What's his game, she wondered. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but the Minister was either unaware of her scrutiny or he simply ignored it. She had to admit, he was a worthy opponent. But he had to have a weakness to exploit somewhere, everyone did. What was it? There was more than one way to remove this irksome thorn from her side. She just had to find it.

The Minister stood back and crossed his arms, never taking his eyes off his agent.

"Designate Cipher Nine, can you hear and understand me? Permission granted to answer."

"Yes." Her eyes remained empty and still as she answered.

"Good." The Minister nodded. "Cipher Nine, you will be given a keyword. Upon hearing this keyword you will cease all and any current actions. You will then wait for new orders designated by the person who uttered that keyword. Do you understand? You may answer."

"Yes." Cipher Nine murmured.

"You will be unable to do anything else until you have completed your new orders. If you attempt to disobey the orders your body will shut down and you will be incapacitated until your keyword holder releases you. Understood? You may answer."

"Yes." replied Cipher Nine.

Kara watched all this with great interest. Her mind working behind her beautiful features. Just then her eyebrows raised slightly as an idea crossed her mind. Smiling wickedly she walked over to where the Minister stood by him. Making sure she stood in his personal space she leaned into him seductively and whispered in his ear. "By the way, I forgot to mention earlier. Darth Ravage has requested that you also make it so that she will be unable to harm any of the Dark Council Members. Keyword or not. He wants it so that she will not be able to function if she dares to confront one of the Lords again. In case you have some reservations about this new order, he wanted me to assure you that this new request is not open for debate." Kara smiled triumphantly, daring him to argue.

The Minister didn't look in her direction. He just stood silently and ridged as if he were a statue. Finally, he blinked once and murmured icily, "Very well."

Kara's eyebrows shot up in surprise. What? No argument? She was sure the Minister would have given her more of a fight than that. She was actually hoping for it. Any excuse to kill this man would have been most welcome. But instead she got a relatively quick acquiescence. Interesting, she thought as she searched his face suspiciously. The Minister showed no signs of it, but she was beginning to think that perhaps her close proximity and intimate whisper had affected him a little. She smiled to herself. She should have tried seduction earlier. He was a man after all, and every man has one weakness common among them that has plagued their existence since the day they crawled out of the primordial goo. Lust. And though she was bright and a fierce fighter she prided herself on the fact that she could get virtually anything she wanted by sheer seduction. That was where her true strength lay. The Minister would be a challenge, but she reveled in that fact.

"Thank you, Minister," she whispered in his ear. "See? I can be civil when I want to be. And I think you'll find that I can be very..._accommodating_, to those who return the favor," Kara continued to whisper. She was enjoying her game. If she could gain the Minister of Intelligence's favor, her power would increase tenfold. She'd have a Sith Lord and the Minister of Intelligence wrapped around her little finger. Power & Information at her beck and call. The thought practically made her giddy. This might be fun!

She looked the Minister up and down with an appraising eye. Despite his age, he was not unattractive. It wouldn't be much of a chore. He was in physically fit, and he had an air of confidence and intelligence about him that she found attractive. Yes. This could work out nicely for her. The worst case scenario would be Ravage getting jealous and killing the Minister in a rage. It had happened before. In which case, she'd finally be rid of this particular "thorn" and move on with her life. It was a win, win situation for her. Besides, she liked nothing more than building men up to dizzying heights, then letting them drop and shatter to pieces before her. It was a little hobby of hers. And watching the Minister shatter would be a particularly exquisite delight.

Turning her head she nodded in Cipher Nine's direction. "Go ahead. Give her the order. Get this silly brainwashing over with so we can both get on with more important matters."

The Minister's jaw tightened slightly and then relaxed with what seemed like a little effort. His eyes lowered back to his agent.

"Cipher Nine, in addendum to your previous orders you are forbidden to harm any of the current Dark Council Members. You will not ever attack one of them even if ordered to do so by your keyword holder. Any attempt to do so will result in a shutdown of your system. Is that understood?"

Cipher Nine continued to stare blankly ahead as she said "Yes."

The Minister nodded. "There. That should satisfy your master. All that is left is the keyword programming. I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that you will have to leave before I administer it." Turning his face to Kara who was literally inches from him.

"Of course." Kara smiled and leaned into the Minister, her lashes low and her cheeks flushed. Few men could resist her bashful blush. "You have been very accommodating, Minister, and I feel that I must apologize to you. I have underestimated you. A mistake I will not make again. I also have been unforgivably rude in my behavior. I broke into your office, I've threatened you, I've ordered you about as if you were my servant and you didn't deserve that. You have been very patient with me. A lesser man would have reacted harshly to my behavior." Kara lowered her gaze in what appeared to be shame and embarrassment. "But you are not a lesser man, are you, Minister? You have proven that to me. And if you'll let me, I promise to make my past transgressions up to you."

The Minister simply stood still, staring down at the beautiful woman who looked up at him with longing etched into her features. His face impassive and unreadable.

Reaching up Kara traced his high cheekbones and sharp jaw line. "I never noticed what a handsome man you are, Minister. Such defined features. A face that is the definition of authority. I like it very much. It is such a shame you weren't born a Sith. You would have been great. You have such...raw potential." She moved her hand to his lips and started to trace them. "I think, I'd like to explore that rawness sometime."

The Minister reached up a gloved hand and clamped it around the wrist of her caressing hand and pulled it away from his face. Taking a small step back he looked at her and took a long breath. "Forgive me, but I think we are through here, Acolyte."

"Of course." Kara smiled and then curtseyed demurely before him. "For now, Minister." She began to walk away slowly and seductively as she felt those piercing eyes on her. Pausing before she got to the door she looked over her shoulder. "But I do hope to continue our conversation about your _hidden _potential soon. Good evening, Minister. I will be sure to report your success to Darth Ravage. He will be very pleased with your work." She gave the Minister one more smile and then closed the door behind her.

The Minister frowned when he heard the door finally shut. "I'm sure he will be," he muttered under his breath bitterly. Looking back at Cipher Nine his gaze softened a little but the frown remained. Taking a deep breath he abruptly turned on his heel and addressed the computer.

"Computer, are there any other life forms in this room other than Cipher Nine and myself?"

"Negative, Minister."

"And what of Kara Xylax. Has she left this floor?"

"Affirmative, Minister. Kara Xylax has just left the lift on the lower levels and is continuing on her current course toward the exit of Intelligence."

"Good. Please inform me immediately if she or anyone approaches this room."

"Affirmative, Minister."

"I'd also like you to send out a scrambling emitter for the next ten minutes." The Minister was pretty sure his office wasn't bugged but he didn't want to take the chance.

"Affirmative, Minister. Scrambling emitter will begin in one minute and continue for a full the full requested ten minutes."

Nodding in satisfaction, the Minister walked over to where Cipher Nine still sat looking as lifeless as a large doll. He leaned up against his desk and crossed his arm and stared down at her long and hard. The frown lines deepened around his mouth as he continued his train of thought. The computer beeped announcing it was now safe to talk freely.

The Minister took a slow deep breath. "For what it is worth, Agent, I tried to protect you from this. Sadly, I was left with little choice. This was the lesser of two evils, not that it will make any difference to you one way or another should you ever discover what has been done to you. But, make no mistake, I have no regrets in brainwashing you. I'd do it again if I had to."

The Minister's jaw tightened in anger. "Do you have any idea what I've had to do to keep the Dark Council from executing you? Did you truly have any idea what you were doing when you confronted Darth Jadus? No. I'll wager you didn't. Well, allow me to fill you in on the details...You not only endangered _your _life but every single life in Intelligence, Cipher!" The Minister was angry. For the first time in a while he let the cool facade fall and reveal the fires of rage that he buried beneath the mask.

"You have no idea what I've been fighting against the past few years! The Sith are not against the idea of 'cleaning' out Intelligence and starting over. In fact, I've been hearing a disturbing amount of whispers coming from them suggesting that they are going to do just that very soon. Your little stunt has just added fuel to their fire which is forcing _me _to play my hand far sooner than I'd like!" The Minister picked up a small data pad that had been sitting on his desk and hurled it across the room in a rage. "Dammit, Cipher!" he yelled as the pad shattered into bits and pieces on the far side of the wall. "It's too soon!"

Rounding on his agent again the Minister's face darkened. "A piece of me flirted with the idea of letting them have you. After all, what is one life to save many?" He began to pace in front of her. Cipher's face remained lifeless and impassive. "I am responsible for all of the lives of Intelligence, Cipher. More so now since I am Minister. And I take my job and my responsibilities very seriously. Do you understand that? If one of my people fail, then _I _fail." The Minister shook his head. "It would have been so much easier to give you to them. Their appetite for blood would have been sated and it would have bought me a little more time to finish what I need to do."

The Minister turned his back to her and leaned both hands against the surface of his desk. There he stood for a few moments seeking to compose himself. His form relaxed a little. After a moment he continued. "But I couldn't bring myself to accept their demands. You, like me, had no choice. You found yourself in an awful situation that required quick thinking and improvisation. I understand that. You did your best." He turned around once more and looked down at his agent. "And you showed me that you are truly loyal to the Empire and its people. Not just to the Sith. It is for that reason, that I can't afford to lose you, Cipher. I need you. Now, more than ever. Your role will become even more important in the coming days." He walked over to Cipher Nine and gently brushed a stray hair that had come loose behind her ear with a gloved hand. His hand then softly moved down her cheek and rested under her chin. He tilted her face up to meet his. "I hope you are up for the challenge. I'm taking a rather uncomfortable gamble on you."

The computer beeped a warning. The Minister glanced over to it. The ten minutes were almost up. He released his agent's face and it rested comfortably back to where it was.

The Minister sighed. "Cipher, after I give you your keyword you are to go back to sleep. When you wake you will have no recollection of having even met me here. As far as your waking mind is concerned, this conversation never happened and you were never here. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Cipher Nine said in her usual monotone.

"Very well." The Minister took a moment to make sure he was happy with the keyword he chose. Yes, he was. It was a word that was not used in everyday conversation so there was little danger of someone accidentally uttering the word in passing. And the word was ironically perfect for the programming. "Cipher, your keyword is _Onomatophobia_. Upon hearing this word you are to cease any and all current actions. Is that understood?"

"Yes," Cipher Nine replied.

"Repeat the keyword back to me," The Minister said.

"Onomatophobia," Cipher Nine said.

"Very good." The Minister nodded. "Close your eyes Cipher. Your programming is complete. You may go back to sleep."

Cipher Nine's eyes slammed shut and her body immediately slumped in the chair. The Minister simply stood for a moment in the silence of his office listening to his agents soft and even breathing. Finally he walked over to the com in his desk and pushed the button.

"Minister to Keeper." He waited for a moment.

"Keeper here, sir. Go ahead."

"Cipher Nine's programming has been completed. I need a med team up here to take her down to the medical ward so that she may rest for a bit. I also want her vitals monitored in case there are any unexpected side effects of the serum."

"Of course, sir. I'll send one up now," Keeper replied.

"Keeper, I'll need you up here too at your earliest convenience. We have a few things we need to discuss."

"Of course, sir. I'll accompany the medical team. We will be there shortly. Keeper, out."

The Minister walked back over to the window. Frustration etched into his features once again. What was he going to do? He needed more time. It wasn't near being finished yet but events were proceeding faster than he anticipated. According to one of his contacts in the Sith side of the Citadel, the Sith were close to executing their plan. He had to stall them somehow and work faster. Shaking his head the Minister thought, _time to call in even more favors_.

The computer chirped a warning. "Three life forms are approaching the office. Identities, designates Keeper, Fixer 15 and Fixer 19. Orders, sir?"

"Grant them access." The Minister replied without moving.

"Affirmative, sir. Access granted" He heard the computer release the locks on the office door. Moments afterward the door was opened by Keeper followed by the two Fixer's who had a hover stretcher in tow.

Keeper's eyes darted from the lifeless form of the agent in the chair to the Minister's rigid form gazing out the window. Concern flashed across her features, but duty took over. She glanced over to the two Fixers who were awaiting orders. Jerking her head toward the direction of Cipher Nine she silently ordered them to take care of her. The Fixers nodded in understanding and then moved to the chair where Cipher Nine rested. They quickly lifted her and placed her on the stretcher.

Keeper walked over to inspect the agent. She was asleep and breathing evenly. "Take her to the medical ward and inform the droids they are to monitor her vitals. I am to be notified of any changes."

"Yes, sir." Fixer Fifteen said.

"You are not to speak a word of this to anyone. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir." both Fixers said simultaneously

Keeper nodded in approval. "Dismissed."

With that the Fixers removed themselves and Cipher Nine from the office and the doors shut behind them.

Keeper stood quietly waiting for the Minister to speak. Something was wrong. She hadn't seen him lately and when she did she could tell he had something heavy weighing on him. She was beginning to think it was more on his mind than just the incident with Darth Jadus. She craved to know what was going on, but she knew better than to pry. He'll talk to her when he wants to.

"I found Kara Xylax in my office when I walked in earlier." The Minister said finally breaking the silence. His voice even and cold.

Keeper blinked, unsure of what she just heard. "Sorry?"

"Kara Xylax bypassed security and was in my office earlier this evening," he repeated still looking out the window.

"That's not possible, sir. Our security systems would have alerted me to her presence." Keeper was flustered. It was simply not possible.

"She's learned a few new tricks from her masters, Keeper." The Minister said turning to regard his subordinate. "She has learned how to use the Force to conceal herself essentially making her invisible. And I imagine she gained my security pass codes from Darth Baras. His slicer's are good but sloppy. They left their 'finger prints' all over the database."

Keeper wasn't sure what to make of all this new information and she seemed a bit disturbed that the Minister seemed so calm about the whole thing.

"Sir, even if she was invisible our computers use infrared. Her heat signature should have picked her up even if the cameras didn't."

The Minister shook his head. "The Force works differently, Keeper. It can do 'impossible' things by technological standards."

"Yes sir. I will discuss the matter over with some of the Fixers and see if we can upgrade our security to include Force stealth somehow." The Minister simply nodded his approval. "Was anything of your compromised?"

"No." The Minister said as he walked back over to his desk and sat. "I keep nothing of real importance in here. This new office is a little too obvious a place to keep truly classified information. It would be like keeping your most precious jewels in a jewelry box. The first place a thief will go to is a jewelry box. Even if Kara had time to snoop she would have found fake reports and falsified data in my desk and terminal."

Keeper smiled. She marveled how he always managed to be one step ahead. She moved and sat in the chair in front of his desk. "How did you discover Kara was in your office? Was she still invisible when you came in?"

"She was. Visually, at least." The Minister smirked. Keeper's brow furrowed in confusion. Seeing the confusion flash across her face The Minister added, "I have many handicaps, Keeper, but being deaf is not one of them. Nor do I have a weak sense of smell."

Keeper's face registered pure confusion. The Minister smirked a little and continued, " That child practically bathes in perfume, Keeper. No doubt in a futile attempt to cover up the stench of her many lovers. I recognized her obnoxious perfume in the hallway even before set foot in my office. But, it wasn't until I heard the slight jingle of her overly elaborate robes coming from that corner over there that I was sure she was still here." Keeper looked over to the corner where the Minister had indicated Kara's hiding place.

The Minister continued, "Darth Ravage loves to spoil her with expensive gifts and she is too vain to change out of them and into something a little more practical and _silent_. As far as I am concerned, she might as well have been wearing a bell around her neck."

Keeper smirked. She had only met Kara once and she found it very difficult to treat her with anything but cold indifference. And it was no surprise to her that Kara failed even the most simple covert rules, 'Don't stand out.' She was no Imperial agent.

"I'll need you to keep an eye on her, Keeper. I don't think we've seen the last of her. She tried to seduce me while she was here."

Keeper had to stifle a laugh. The idea of anyone trying to seduce the Minister seemed ludicrous to her. Not because she found him unattractive. Quite the opposite. But because the Minister was once an agent himself. In fact, he was the best agent the Empire had seen. He has played the seduction game, the espionage game, and the assassin game. The idea that Kara has done nothing but tried to beat a master at his own game was both sad and comical to her.

Smirking she looked to the Minister, "And? Were you not tempted? She _is _quite lovely."

The Minister raised a disapproving eyebrow, "That is not amusing, Keeper. I would sooner bed a Rakghoul. In fact, my chances of surviving an intimate encounter with a Rakghoul are considerably higher than a Sith."

Keeper smiled and chuckled a bit and the Minister returned her amusement with a mild smile of his own.

"Which reminds me," the Minister continued once again serious "I want you to send Cipher Nine to Taris. I have a contact there I'd like her to meet up with."

"Of course, sir." Keeper nodded. "Who may I ask?"

The Minister smiled to himself. "An old friend and retired Fixer," the Minister replied. "He owes me a favor and besides, Cipher Nine is going to need all the help she can get. Things are going to get tough in the coming weeks. For _all _of us."

Keeper nodded, "Understood, sir."

"I'll fill you in on the details shortly. I need to contact him first and let him know what is required of him. Once I get his agreement I'll fill you on the rest."

"Of course, sir."

"Very well, Keeper. You are dismissed. Keep me updated on any changes with Cipher Nine and any other issues that you think require my attention."

"Yes, sir." Keeper stood up and nodded her respect to the Minister and walked out.

The Minister watched her go and then waited a few moments before typing a code into the holoterminal on his desk. After a moment a familiar face flickered up on the display.

"Well, well, well..." said the bluish image as it greeted the Minister. "Now there's a face I haven't seen in a _long_ time. You haven't changed a bit. Well, except for the fact that you have less hair than when I saw you last. But that is what you get working with the Sith." The image grinned a wide toothy grin at the Minister.

The Minister responded by raising an imperious eyebrow. "You are one to talk, old friend. I see time has had the same effect on you."

"Ha!" The image smiled. "That among other things." The humor in the face faded slightly. "To what do I owe this honor,..._Minister_. I mean, I am assuming this is not a courtesy call considering I haven't even received so much as a birthday greeting from you in a long time."

The Minister frowned, "Don't be foolish. I've _never _given you a birthday greeting. Why start now? But, in all fairness I have saved your skin more times than I care to count. That should mean something more than a silly birthday greeting."

The image ginned another toothy grin. "Yes...yes, you have, my friend. And it does. So? Aren't you going to tell me what this is all about? Don't keep me in suspense. Out with it!"

"How would you like to leave Taris and stretch your legs for a bit?"

The image started back at the Minister unsure if he was serious. "If I wasn't already sure you had absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever to speak of, I'd say you were teasing me."

"You know me, old friend. I am being very serious. I meant every word." The Minister took a deep breath before continuing, "Something has come up, and I need your skills right now. I can't trust anyone else with this task but you. With your blessing I'm calling in a favor."

The image blinked in surprise. "Minister, getting me off Taris would be doing _me _a favor. Not you. Whatever it is you need me to do, consider me on board."

The Minister nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Then I hereby re-commission you. Welcome back to Intelligence, Doctor."


End file.
